• Ukrainian pilots training on US F-16s are "very impressed" with the fighter jets, a report said.

• The Ukrainian service of the Voice of America report cites a Ukrainian Air Force pilot.

• The F-16 can be used in both air-to-air and air-to-surface combat, per the US Air Force.

US F-16s are exceeding the expectations of Ukraine's pilots,

Ukrainian pilots are "very impressed" with US F-16 fighter jets, the Ukrainian service of the Voice of America reported.

A pilot who went by the call sign "Phantom" said in an interview with the outlet that Ukrainian pilots training on the multirole fighters in the US and Europe had praised the aircraft.

"Our pilots are very impressed," he said. "This plane simply exceeded their expectations. Even with the amount of information they have received during training, they already see great prospects and great potential for how this aircraft will help our Air Force."

And you can imagine that there's information that they haven't learned yet, haven't given them yet, about what else this aircraft might be capable of."

But "Phantom" added that retraining pilots on the advanced aircraft did present certain challenges as many were accustomed to flying older Russian-built Su-27s and MiG-29s.

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder announced in August that the US would begin training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 jets "in support of the international effort to develop and strengthen Ukraine's long-term defenses."

The US started training Ukrainian pilots in October, while Britain's Royal Air Force began in August, putting pilots through flying and English language lessons before a first cohort began specific F-16 training in Denmark in December.

Grant Shapps, the UK Defence Secretary, said in a press release at the time that while Ukraine had been "vulnerable" to Russian air attacks during the early stages of the conflict, "its Armed Forces are now able to intercept and destroy the overwhelming majority of incoming ordnance" thanks to international supporters providing air help for its air defenses.

"Together, we're now going further by ensuring Ukraine has a modern air force in the future, formed around the highly capable fourth-generation F-16 fighter jet," he added.

Ukraine's Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, said, "Ukraine highly values the pilot training that the UK and other partners are providing," adding that it provided a "rapid and effective program to equip Ukrainian pilots with the skills they need in the war against Russia."

It will still be several months before they see action against Russian forces, a Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said.

The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway are offering as many as 60 F-16s to Ukraine, The Telegraph reported.

According to the US Air Force's website, the F-16 Fighting Falcon "is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft" used in both air-to-air and air-to-surface combat.

The 49-foot-long aircraft can carry two 2,000-pound bombs, two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, two AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, and two 2,400-pound external fuel tanks. It is also equipped with one M-61A1 20mm multibarrel cannon.

It adds that it can fly more than 500 miles when conducting air-to-surface operations.

But the Atlantic Council think tank expressed doubt in a report in August that the fighter jet would prove to be a game changer in the war, as Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile systems would likely pose a serious threat to all Ukrainian jets and force them to fly at lower altitudes, putting them at a disadvantage.

Despite this, it noted that "the effort spent training Ukrainian pilots, ground crews, and logisticians to operate and maintain these aircraft will have long-term value."

United States currently has enough funds to finish training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 jets

The US National Guard still has enough funds to complete the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, even though the United States is running out of money to send additional weapons and aid to Kyiv.

Details: Dan Hokanson, Chief of the US National Guard, said they have the resources to continue the training that has already commenced.

"If we decide to increase that [tranche] obviously we’ll need the resources to train additional pilots and ground support personnel," the military official stressed.

The pilots' training began in October at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona.

Background:

• Earlier, reports emerged that Ukrainian pilots in the United States undergoing training on F-16 fighter jets are expected to complete their flight programme in 2024.

• At present, a group of Ukrainian pilots is continuing their flight training at an air base in Arizona.

• Before that, a small group of Ukrainian pilots who arrived in the US in September received language training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

• The Ukrainians initially learn the basics of F-16 operation in the classroom and on simulators and then move on to flying the actual aircraft. However, the course may be speeded up due to the necessity for Ukrainians to rejoin the war effort at home.

• In addition to the United States, Ukrainian pilots are being or will be trained in Romania, Denmark, France and the United Kingdom. Six Ukrainians completed their basic training, including English language courses, in the UK before Christmas.

F-16s raised in Romania because of Russian drone attack on Odesa Oblast

Romania issued a warning to the population of border settlements and took off F-16 fighter jets during the attack of Russian drones on Odesa Oblast on the night of 9-10 February.

Source: Romanian Ministry of National Defence, reported by European Pravda

Details: The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations of Romania issued an air-raid warning in the Tulcea and Galați districts bordering Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast.

RO-Alert notifications were sent to residents of the districts by 01:00 local time, which lasted until almost 03:00. The Romanian Ministry of Defence said in a statement that the air-raid warning was issued again at 05:00 and lasted until 06:20.

In addition, F-16 aircraft of the Turkish Air Force were taken off from the Fetești air base on both occasions "to carry out search missions in the national airspace in this situation".

The Romanian Defence Ministry emphasised that no violations of Romanian airspace were recorded during the air-raid warnings, but that they are additionally checking the area around Tulcea just in case.

"The Ministry of National Defence strongly condemns the attacks carried out by the Russian Federation on the facilities and elements of civilian infrastructure in the Ukrainian Danube ports. These attacks are unjustified and seriously contradict the norms of international humanitarian law," the statement said.

Background:

• On the morning of 10 February, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia attacked Ukraine with 31 drones, 23 of which were shot down. In Odesa Oblast, the attack took place in three waves, resulting in four wounded people and damaged civilian infrastructure in Odesa and Izmail.

• This is not the first time that the Romanian-Ukrainian border has had an air-raid warning due to Russian drone attacks.